Kazakhstan to expand primary healthcare access to 1 mln rural residents
This year, 3 trillion tenge have been allocated from the state budget to provide medical care, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov told a Government's meeting, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The Prime Minister noted that the opening of new medical facilities is greatly improving access to healthcare services, especially in rural areas.
“The completion of 655 healthcare facilities this year will provide 1 million rural residents with access to primary healthcare. Overall, 3 trillion tenge have been allocated from the state budget for healthcare services this year,” Bektenov said.
He emphasized that given the scale of these investments, the Ministry of Health must maintain strict oversight of budget spending and service quality, including through the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence.
Bektenov also noted that while the Social Health Insurance Fund remains a key pillar of the healthcare system, the pace of transformation in its business processes — particularly in planning, payments, and procurement — remains slow.
“The Fund must therefore significantly step up its efforts. The transformation of the healthcare system requires coordinated and urgent action to make medical care more accessible, sustainable, and responsive to citizens’ needs,” the Prime Minister concluded.
He also instructed the authorities to step up public outreach efforts, emphasizing that the implementation of new approaches should place particular focus on the needs of socially vulnerable groups.
As reported earlier, Kazakhstan has the highest life expectancy in Central Asia.
